The Spirits Among Us
by hohum
Summary: "Cheri mwen, when you call the spirits will hear you." Her mother spoke in a sweet melody. A brief pause was shared between the two as the unspoken question laid heavily in the air. "But will they answer?" Luna asked uncertainly. The morning light shined through the window, casting the older women in an ethereal glow. "You will know when the light inside of you begins to sing."
1. The Closing of the Curtains

_Welcome fellow Avatar lovers, to introduce myself to this site you can refer to me as Sassy. To cut the dramatics, this story has been floating around my head for quite some time. I've never been confident enough to commit to my ideas but this has far been one of my favorite projects to work on._

 _Comments are well recieved and if any of you have any suggestions or constructive criticism I would be more than happy to read and discuss it with you._

 _I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I did writing it. It will be a journey from start to finish so love to all of you and without further ado… LETS GET THIS POPPING!_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. Only my OC's._

Luna Dupre had never believed in spirits. In fact, she couldn't consider herself a believer of any higher power, even though there were times that she wished that there was something bigger than herself out there. However, with all the crime and corruption that she witnessed in the state of Louisiana, Luna doubted that any all-righteous God would allow his human creations to have such a tainted demeanor.

Her mother was an avid participant in the local baptist church around the block from their small suburban home, in a seedy area of New Orleans. Luna had never understood the concept of church, it had seemed like one big effort to escape the inevitable everlasting nothingness of death. However, she couldn't help but admit that whenever her mother spoke about God and fate, her dark skin seemed to glow and the bags under her eyes would brighten. It didn't matter if her mother had to work a double shift at the local grocery store, instead of complaining, she would look at Luna with love in her eyes and say something among the lines of, "fate has something big in store for us my cheri mwen." Among the many sacrifices Antonia Dupre made, her lifeline was her faith and her daughter. It was for this reason that Luna never vocalized her doubts.

No Luna certainly didn't believe in the spirits that her mother praised. Until she was called out of class one day to hear the news, that her mother had been one of three victims to be fatally shot and killed in a drive-by shooting over drug dealing territories.

It was an inexplainable feeling. Almost as if her very soul was set on fire and shredded to pieces. Luna understood that this feeling was unearthly. A connection that was forged from the time she had emerged from her mother's womb into the harsh, unforgiving world. And it had suddenly been ripped out from under her leaving her breathless. The identity that she had forged among her sixteen years of life had suddenly left her as she watched the casket get lowered to the ground. Luna couldn't cry, sleep well, or stomach any food. The denial was eating at her, her mother wasn't gone, she couldn't be! Nothing would take Antonia down, not even a bullet. Yet, as the crowd slowly disapated, she was left standing at the tombstone that clearly stated that this was the resting place of her mother:

 _Antonia Marie Dupre_

 _1972-2018_

She stared numbly at the granite, freshly dug up dirt, and bouquet of lilies that rested against the tombstone. Hands dropped numbly at the side of her black dress as she wrestled with her emotions. ' _Why can't I feel anything?'_ she thought to herself. The cold feeling overtook her body as the feeling of hopelessness washed over her.

The dark thoughts were suddenly halted as a hand slipped into her own. She tensed as, aside from the stiff hug's from family and friends at the funeral, Luna couldn't remember having any physical contact since the day that her mother sent her off to school with a kiss on the cheek, not knowing the tragedy that was to come. Luna's green orbs peered up into her Aunt Adele's own brown one's that shined down with unshed tears. Watching as a watery smile spread across her lips as her aunt glanced down to look at the tombstone where her dear sister laid. "It's time for us to go Luna, we have a flight to catch in the morning." Luna nodded numbly as her aunt gently tugged her hand towards the direction of the parking lot.

The walk across the grass was harder than Luna ever would've thought. Like a foal on shakey legs, she found herself struggling to walk away from everything she once knew. Dancing around the kitchen to Diana Ross as her mother would make dinner, how she would burst out in unconstrained laughter while watching Judge Judy give her sassy final verdict, or her undeniable radiance as Luna watched from her place in the choir as her mother lifted her hand's up to something that wasn't quite tangiable but equally miraculous.

Those memories were just memories now, there would be no do-overs or second chances to bask in her mother's love. The further she walked from her mother's resting place, the farther the coldness would spread. Luna looked over her shoulder as her foot landed on the concrete to see just a speck of grey in the distance.

She didn't believe in spirits before but now, she prayed to every power above that there was a place for her mother's beautiful soul to rest. That Antonia wasn't lost to the darkness. This feeling was undescribable but deep down Luna understood. Her mother, the greatest treasure in her life, was gone, and in a way, so was Luna.


	2. Ascended

_Hello readers! It's certainly been a while, but I had to plan out the entire story so that it didn't exactly follow the original storyline. Also heads up, I am not blessed in the physics department so this scientific way of transporting my OC to the Avatar: The Last Airbender world might be off. I did a lot of research on the subject of multiple universes the past couple of weeks so I hope it makes sense._

 _I've had a lot of fun with this story somehow. I find myself learning new things that I didn't expect (like learning quantum physics, y'all I seriously failed that class in high school yikes!). I plan on putting a lot of time into this so I hope that you guys can see that. Also any errors or suggestions on things to tweak (as long as its constructive criticism cause who likes a hater?) I'll of course take the time to listen! Xoxo_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. Only my OC's._

* * *

The passengers of flight 2490 boarded the plane relatively slow. Most were dreading the overlay that was to come and the 24 hours of non-stop traveling. Luna's dainty caramel hands shoved the luggage, that threatened to topple over on her, into the compartment above. A small huff escaped her lips as she settled down into her seat. Aunt Adele had luckily gotten the window seat and was flipping through the notes that she was sent earlier that morning by her colleagues.

Aunt Adele had never been around much, in fact, Luna had only remembered seeing her every other Christmas. The reason for her absence was that her presence was demanded elsewhere. As a physicist, she explained to Luna, her travels took her to places where energy was deeply affecting the matter within their fields and that correlated with "quantum physics", whatever that meant. Her curiosity had been consuming her mind ever since her aunt attempted to explain her field of study.

Luna worked up the courage to ask the questions that just didn't make sense to her. She didn't know one thing about physics, in fact, she hadn't even been old enough- and quite frankly she wasn't gifted when it came to science- to take the senior-level class. Grasping the hem of her white t-shirt, green eyes peered up to look at her lenses of her aunt's oversized glasses. "Why are we going to Peru?"

Adele halted, briefly looking away from the endless amounts of paperwork and giving her full attention to her niece, short black curls bobbing around in movement. "Well, I told you about how I am a physicist, correct?" Luna nodded her head.

"That is just the extremely simplified version of my field." She set the papers down on the tray. "Specifically, as a physicist, my team and I have studied for the past ten years theories of the possibility of an alternate universe."

Luna's eyes widened a fraction. "Alternate universe? You mean that the premise for basically all sci-fi movies out there could be a reality?" She asked incredulously.

The older women's brown eye's brightened at her niece's obvious interest in the subject. "Physics is full of possibilities! In fact, what we are researching is fairly new." Her eye's peared off to the side to look out the window as the white cloud's passed by in clusters. "The cold spot is something that our researchers discovered a decade ago, however it still manages to elude us. It's so large that it could just be a supervoid but my team and I disagree." Her eyes peeled away from the window to stare into her niece's curious green eyes. "Recently this was all just theory, but we have reason to believe that the ancient civilization of Machu Picchu may have our answers."

Luna was beyond confused. Alternate universes? Cold spots? It just didn't make sense. Of course, she was prosperous when it came to her studies, but this information was way out of her league. It didn't mean that she wasn't as curious to hear what her aunt had to say. "What's so special about Machu Pichu that you couldn't find in your lab?" Luna asked as the questions she held back buzzed around her head.

Adele racked her brain to find an answer that would seem simple enough for the sixteen year old girl to understand. "The electromagnetic field around that area is off. The particles and forces that are usually accurate and easily applied with physics are just flat out different there. It's almost as if the area has been manipulated by something greater than science can rule out. The cosmic microwave background of the universe, around the cold spot, also doesn't elign with our perception of physics. For that reason, we've decided to gather information."

"This theory of alternate universes," Luna paused, trying to find a way to state her thoughts without offending her aunt's life work, "you talk about cold spots, but is there any solid proof that the theory is even viable?"

The older women paused, appearing to be in deep thought over the question as her eyes continued to look out to the endless abyss of clouds and skies. "Our world may be composed of elementary particles and atoms, but those same conditions also shape our reality. I personally believe that atoms and elementary particles themselves are not real, they form a world of possibilities or potentialities, rather than just a world made up of matter." Her eyes seeked out those of her niece's, they brimmed with a glance of childlike innocence and wonder that Adele hadn't seen since she had last visited, before the tragic death of her sister. "In fact," she raised her fingers to rest at the center of Luna's forehead, "I believe that our consciousness plays a major part on our perception of reality and the fabric of reality itself."

"But why? Why is this happening now?" The question slipped out of her lips before Luna could even think it over.

Adele looked once again out the window. Her lips were pressed together and her eyes slightly creased that gave off a vibe of frusturation to Luna. "We don't know." The words were spoken softly into existence.

* * *

The suitcases rested on the concrete pavement, by the pair, as they waited on the curb outside of the airport for the long ride up to one of the seven wonders of the world. Luna fidgeted restlessly with the hem of her sage green jumper. It had been a ten hour flight with a lay over in Jackson, Atlanta. Needless to say, with all the information that had been thrown at her and the recent death of her mother, Luna was overwhelmed and drained. A clean shower was needed along with a long hibernation.

' _This guy better show up soon, it's almost been a whole hour that I've been standing on my feet. Honestly i'd love to give this guy a piece of my mi-.'_ The squeaking of tires cut off Luna's thought as she looked up to see an old beat up green jeep wrangler fly into the pick up area. Her dark eyebrows furrowed as a bewildered look overtook her face. ' _What a lunatic. I really hope he's not the one picking us up.'_

"Ciao bella signores!" An italian accent rang through the noise of the bustling ongoers, along with the screeching of the brake, accompanied by the smell of burning rubber from the lunatic slamming on his brakes so hard. A sick gut feeling lay at the bottom of Luna's stomach as she prayed to the spirits above that this was not the scientist who was supposed to pick them up. Was her aunt really going to risk her niece's own safety just to get to their destination? _'Oh God, I don't want to die this young!'_ Somehow resisting the urge to turn right back into the airport she had just emerged from and take a direct a direct flight back to Louisiana, she conjured up a weak smile to greet the man getting out of his sorry excuse of a Jeep- not that she could judge because she had never owned a car in her life.

Every step personified swagger and confidence as his white oxfords sauntered up to greet them. With his gelled back dark hair, light brown khaki pants, cream colored shirt with the top two buttons up top to reveal the curly hair underneath and his cocky smile (that seemed a little too white in Luna's opinion), Luna already found herself loathing this man but couldn't deny that he personified what she believed a dreamy foreigner would look like.

With open arms the strange man embraced her aunt in a way that seemed more intimate than two friends simply greeting each other. Pulling back, that same blinding smile rested upon his chisiled face. "Adele it's been too long," he stated as he lightly kissed the back of her knuckles. Luna watched as Adele's hand reached up to playfully smack the middle aged man on his chest. "Oh Matteo, stop being so dramatic." Between the two adults was a chemistry that was so obvious that Luna almost felt displaced, as if she was witnessing something she wasn't meant to see. She averted her eye's down to the concrete, finding her white sneakers more interesting than witnessing the PDA from her aunt and this new guy.

"Matteo, this is my niece, Luna, she is my sister Antonia's daughter." A sudden hollow disparity settled at the pit of Luna's stomach when she heard the name of her recently deceased mother, yet no tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. She kept her eyes trained on the pavement as if it was the most interesting thing in the world, until she felt a large hand rest on her shoulder. Her eye's shot up to meet warm hazel. Matteo stood in front of her with sympathy shining through his eyes.

' _Can he get his hand off of me?'_ Luna thought in revulsion, but willed herself to keep a neutral expression on her face to not be rude. The sympathy that she had been receiving the past couple of days had really been draining on her psyche. It wasn't as if she didn't appreciate that people cared, but was sympathy really going to bring her mother back from the dead? It wasn't comforting nor did it give her a sense of peace. Instead it just felt forced and not at all genuine. "I'm sorry about what happened to your madre and I understand your pain," Matteo's words broke through her musing.

Luna didn't know why these words angered her. Matteo probably had gone through something similar or else there would be no reason to even utter those words, but they sparked a fire inside her belly that threatened to obliterate all reasoning inside her. It took a huge effort to not snap at this stranger but she couldn't help but peel the hand that lay on her shoulder. "Thank you," she muttered slowly as she dropped his hand in a manner that said "back off."

Thankfully he seemed to get the gesture pretty quickly and gave her space. An awkward tension hung among the three of them, it didn't seem that Adele really had the heart to reprimand her for being prickly. Instead Matteo gathered up their bags into his hands and headed back to the jeep. "Come on signores! We have a long trip ahead of us." he said with not even a glance over his shoulder. Luna looked off to the side to see her aunt giving her a long look that spoke volumes. It was the kind of look that one would give to a wounded animal and whether it was intentional or not it relit that fire, that just moments ago had threatened to ignite.

"Aunt Adele, I appreciate all you've done for me but I'm begging you. Don't treat me as if im fragile. I won't shatter if you do or say the wrong thing." She looked back to where the jeep was and began to walk even as her aunt was frozen in place. With one last look over Luna's shoulder she uttered the words into the soft breeze that caressed her shoulders. "I am my mother's daughter and I'm a hell of a lot more resilient than that." Even though she didn't know if she really believed it or if she was just lying to herself.

* * *

The trip up Huayana Picchu was roughly five hours filled with many near death experiences and wide turns, which wasn't a surprise for how careless Matteo drove. It was a miracle that Luna was still in one piece. Regardless of the peril within the car, the view outside was absolutely breathtaking. Machu Picchu was practically hidden with the endless slopes of the mountains surrounding it. Mountains, the like that Luna had never witnessed in her sixteen years of life, loomed in a sturdious manner. Unmoving and guarding this hidden civilization in an effortless manner. It was no wonder that the Spanish conquerers never discovered this place. ' _I really hope that's historcally accurate,'_ Luna pondered to herself. Breaking herself out of her musings, she glanced up to the front of the jeep where the adults were discussing what seemed to be related to the discoveries that lay ahead.

Nothing had really been said between the three of them after Luna's subtle burst of anger earlier. She instead opted to sit in silence, since there was no point to try and validate her outburst to the two adults. It was a fact, to her at least, that intellectuals were people who couldn't be reasoned with. If they held an opinion than they were sure as hell going to defend it, especially when the defendent was a sixteen year old girl who had just lost her mother. ' _Bitter thought to chew isn't it?'_ Opting out of creating conversation, she instead peered back out the window to witness rolling mountains and gripping the handle above the seat as if it would save her from doom if Matteo suddenly cut the wheel a little too much to the left.

The car suddenly came to a slow stop as they reached there destination. Luna shot out of the car so fast that she stumbled to regain her footing before collecting her barings and looking up. An appreciative whistle came out of her plump lips as she took in the sight before her. Growing up in Louisiana was all she ever knew, traveling elsewhere had been completely out of the budget of their one income household. Luna never complained about it, however, looking out into the endless expanse of green and the rustic stone walls that encompassed the small plateau of land around her she was in awe. ' _There's no way that aliens didn't help them build all of this shit,"_ she mused to herself in wonder.

"The Incas built this place thousands of years ago as a vacation spot for their emperor." Aunt Adele spoke with a twinkle in her eye, but it faded when Luna took her attention away from her. Luna already knew what she was trying to do, butter her up so that things wouldn't be awkward. Glancing around at the blacked out cars, heavy security intel, and people running around in their white lab coats, she almost forgot the reason they came here.

Luna looked back up towards her aunt, suddenly feeling ashamed for her behavior. Hopeful that she would get points for trying to devulge on a conversation that revolved around her aunt's occupation. "So," she started awkwardly, "you said that our reality is made up of infinite possibilities and potentialities. How will this specific spot help you guys to come to any real conclusion about this theory?" They continued to walk towards what appeared to be a hut that overlooked the mountain. There was no wall facing towards them, leaving and open space for a person to stand under. It was surround by three walls and inside the building had multiple opening so that a person could view Huayana Picchu in all its glory.

"Multiple universes is a tricky thing to prove, logically we shouldn't even be able to communicate with anyone from an alternate universe and we really don't have anything that proves that it even exists besides what we've learned from quantum physics." Adele was relieved that her niece was talking to her in the slightest, she had never had a kid of her own so it felt like she was stepping on thin ice when it came to Luna, especially after such a huge loss. She reveled in her niece's interest on her occupation because it was the most natural thing they could discuss without accidentaly bringing up her sister or any negative feelings. "Many scientists immediately dismiss the theory because, as you know, in science in order for a theory to even be a theory, it must be able to be proven wrong, and in this case we have no evidence that it could be proven right." Adele grinned at Luna suddenly, which confused her greatly. "Until now."

Luna pondered over this as they looked through one of the openings in the hut at the extraordinary view that sparked wonder that Luna had never truly felt throughout her sixteen years on this planet. Suddenly, she felt greatful that her aunt had enough leverage with NASA to have her niece be cleared to roam around while such a potential- and most likely highly classified- discovery was to be made. As she looked around in wonder, her eyes greedly soaking everything in, she saw a strange rock at the bottom of the hill they stood on. Surrounded by an expanse of green, she focused on the carvings that appeared to be stone stairs that lead up to what appeared to be an alter.

Her senses were suddenly opened as she felt a rush of energy course throughout her veins. Goosebumps began to rise on every inch of her body and she shivered in discomfort. "It doesn't feel right here," she said to her aunt as she pointed at the alter.

A brief pause occured that made the strange sensation increase in it's strange melody. A choir of shivers played its notes from the length of her arms, down to the tips of her toes. A peculiar awareness of every living thing around her, along with a vibrancy of colors that flooded her vision and blocked her off from reality for an instantaneous second, knocked her off of her feet. The feeling increased in tempo, an erratic staccato that felt otherworldly. There was no way that what she was feeling was anything less than euphoric and overwhelming. It began to feel as if all that energy would burst out of her, than a familiar touch where her shoulder blades met. The overwhelming sensation all but melted away as her frayed nerves were smoothed over.

Those innocent green eyes opened to her aunt's face above her as she called Luna's name desperately. Blearily blinking to get the fog out of her eyes, she felt her head pounding making her entirely disoriented. She could vaguely hear her aunt calling someone for water and cold towels. Luna didn't dare get off the floor because of the intensity of her headache. Feeling a strange wetness on her face, she reached up with shaking hands to her nose and pulled away only to find blood. Hands grasped at her, raising her to a sitting position. She found that she didn't have the strength to fight back, instead her head lulled to the side, eyes dazed forward to the stone wall. She felt a cool feeling on the back of her neck, but at that point her headache threatened to consume her, falling back into an unconscious state. The last sound that Luna heard was a young boy's laughter, airy and light.

Or it just could've been the wind.

* * *

Luna awoke in a white, makeshift medical tent, surrounded by beds on both sides and eeriely bland. An I.V was in her arm, probably pumping sugar into her body. The headache was gone, and thankfully the nosebleed, but she was still helplessly dazed and restless. The last thing she could remember was looking at that alter and ' _oh my god was that for human sacrifices?'_ She wanted to see again, no, needed to see it again.

She looked back down to the I.V in her arm. _'Am I really going to do this right now? Yes."_ Reaching over to where the cotton balls were she held one over where the I.V was taped to her arm and yanked it out. Applying pressure, she swung her feet over the bed and looked around to see if there were any clothes. Sitting on the bed, folded nicely, was an outfit laid out that looked comfy enough, most likely left from her aunt. ' _Bless her soul.'_ Changing into the flowy pale pink shorts and thin white-colored sweatshirt, she threw on her handy white trainers and made for the tent's opening. It was night time and the stars shined down with brilliance that Luna had never witnessed under the light pollution of her home city. She grinned to herself as she realized this was prime time to sneak out.

Peeking around for any security, she snuck throught the ancient grounds. Ducking behind rocks whenever a guard or scientist came too close. She was so concerned with not getting caught, that she didn't realize she was going in the wrong direction. She also realized as she walked towards the north side of the ruins, that she didn't have any control over what direction she was heading in. Her mind smoothed over, leaving behind only an instinct towards what direction she was going.

Luna was vaguely aware that she was walking along a dirt road away from the camp and up towards the hills of Cusco. It might have been five minutes or an hour, but the road opened up to a field full of wheat, stretching on for what seemed like miles. It was a glorious sight but Luna's mind was solely focused on the structure that loomed ahead in an eerie fashion. Her mind was on autopilot. As the structure came closer into view she could make out a building made of stone masonry and an open-face, shallow cave. ' _The Temple of the Moon,'_ her mind supplied the name that she had never in her life heard of.

She slowly walked through the very tall double-jamb doorway and immediately was hit by that same wave of energy she had felt earlier in the day, except it greated an ethereal feeling within her that she never wanted to stop. It felt as if she had been doused in starlight, igniting all her nerves into its cosmic dance. The stonework on the walls depicted a condor, a puma, and a snake. In four steps, she was faced to faced with the carving of the condor. Apprehensively, she reached out to touch its stone wings. When she made contact, time seemed to slow down around her. The moonlight that poured in through the cracks of the building suddenly become intensely bright.

Luna wanted to scream as faces and voices flashed through her head, unwilling to cease its montage. Suddenly the face of a teenaged boy appeared into her head and time ceased completely. She could make out azure eyes that were lit up with a childish hue, dark hair shaved on the sides and pulled up into a small ponytail, skin a few shades lighter than her own, and a confident grin that pulled up on one side that accentuated his boyish demeanor. Than the image was gone and Luna felt herself being pulled towards and unknown source as a blue unnatural light engulfed everything in sight.

The blue light brought about feelings of absolute sorrow within Luna. She felt a heavy loss that was bigger than just the death of her mother, it overwhelmed her senses. She had made the leap into the unknown, was this the price? Being agonizingly ripped apart by the sorrow that she tried to ignore, yet was currently consuming her? It was as if time and space was rushing by her at the speed of light. The overworldly blue light closed off all other sights around her, but didn't touch her, and yet she knew she was flying- as evident by the lack of ground beneath her. She was filled with terror as her mind went haywire.

Then it stopped.

Her feet landed softly on bear ground, but her legs were so unstable that she fell to a heap on the ground. She looked up in fright at her surroundings, this was not Machu Picchu. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she was in the same dimension anymore. This place closely resembled the physical world, but something felt off. The air was lighter, her soul felt almost detached from her body, in fact, she felt illuminated.

' _Is this what Buddha felt like when he unlocked enlightenment?'_ she mused to herself to stop the fears from creeping into her mind. She had to be strong in this situation and logically figure out where she was, their was no use in being emotional about it. However, she was visibly shaken by the experience with the blue light. That overwhelming sorrow was from another source, she knew it in her bones. Something bad happened, and she was going to find out what.

Looking around only affirmed what she knew, she was in her own reality anymore. The trees twisted strangely, all towards a general direction, that same blue light shining brightly, from one direction, through the trees. It was quiet, too quiet. That uncomfortable feeling that never left began to prickle again, causing goosebumps to form on her arms. Luna figured that moving towards the light was better than staying here, she was even hopeful that it might bring her home. Slowly she began to navigate through the same trees in the direction they leaned towards, careful of making noise by avoiding the roots that surfaced on the ground. The blue light glowed in intensity as she neared a clearing and the sight before her stole her breath away. It was a pond that overflowed with spiritual energy, it was clear and unmoving, with not a ripple in sight. Beneath the surface she was amazed by what appeared to be a small island that held a gate on it's lush inland, with two bridge reaching towards its banks on either side. She was perplexed to see that it relfected under the surface of the pond in a mirror-like affect.

The blinding light flashed intensely and Luna found herself falling backwards onto her bum in shock. For when the light died down, an etheral being appeared in the center of the lake, looking as surprised to she Luna as she was.

' _Is this God?'_ her thoughts ran rampant.

The being was the most beautiful thing Luna had seen. She was female- if gender's even applied to heavenly beings- with white hair done up in an intricate style, flowy garments that hugged her body like a glove, the brighest blue eyes that Luna had ever seen, and her aura glowed so brightly that she appeared to be translucent. Floating around her head, defying all laws of gravity that Luna had been accustomed to, were two large koi fish which contrasted each other in color: black and white. The being was smiling at Luna, apparently over her shock.

The smile hit Luna like a ton of bricks, breaking her out of her state of awe. Scrambling to get up to her feet, she couldn't take her eyes off of the girl in the middle of the lake. Tears pricked at her eyes as she came to the realization that she might be dead, however she wasn't sad but overwhelmingly peaceful. Would she finally get to see her mother?

"A-am I dead?" she said with a huge smile. "Are you going to take me to see my mother." The being's smile slipped off her face at that comment, instead forming into one of sadness. "No, but it appears that you've somehow managed to do what no normal human has in thousands of years." The illusion was broken, and tears slipped down Luna's face in remorse for the false hope she had that she may have been able to see her mother- her whole world. "You've somehow managed to stumble into the spirit world, yet I sense that you aren't quite from the real world either."

This managed to dumbfound Luna entirely, what did she mean? She was almost positive that the physical world was the one she resided in. Did that mean that these alternate universe theories that her aunt was transfixed on extended more entirely? "W-w-what do you mean?" The being looked guilty, looking off to the side, which managed to baffle Luna even more. "I don't know why you are here, but it seems that when the Avatar merged with the ocean spirit and opened the gate the spirit world, the spiritual energy emitted opened gate in your own physical world," she said with regret but her tone was so foreign and heavenly to Luna that she found that she couldn't get angry at the being, but what was an avatar?

The light that came from the pond was intense yet began to fluctuate. The being looked down in alarm and than up at Luna, reaching out she beckoned the mortal to come to her. Luna looked down at the pond in distrust, heavenly being or not, did she not expect her to sink once she took a step onto the pond's surface?

Looking back up to the center of the lake, she saw that the being held urgency within the depths of her eyes. "Come quickly, it is not safe for mortals in the spiritual world and the portal to the physical world is beginning to close." Looking down at the lake again, Luna found herself scared out of her wits. This was too much stimulation for her! Heavenly beings? Traveling dimensions? Spirit worlds? Avatars? She had just lost her mother for Christ's sake! How was she supposed to deal in a world that wasn't her own? She didn't even understand what was going on! God dammit, she was enjoying herself in Machu Picchu and she had only been conscious there for an hour!

"I promise you that you won't sink. Walk towards me with your eyes forwards." Sensing the urgency within the being's tone and the irratic way the koi fish swam around her head, Luna began the trek across the pond and found that it was like walking on solid ground. Grasping the being's outstretched hand, the spiritual energy coarsed up her arm and left her feeling comforted, drying the tears out her eyes completely.

Being in such close proximity with the heavenly being left her breathless. A soft smile was rested upon her face that mirrored the beings and erased the last of Luna's anxiety. "My name is Yue, and you?"

"Luna," she breathed out.

Yue seemed to glow more at that. "Names blessed by the moon spirit himself. It will be a harrowing journey to get back to your world. However, I feel greatness within you. I will be watching over you, as the new moon spirit, along with the spirit of the ocean. The black koi fish seemed to perk up, and Luna figured that it was the ocean spirit. Both koi fish wrapped around Luna in what seemed like a loving embrace that not only surprised Luna, but also Yue. She seemed as if she wanted to say something, but the light flickered once more and seemed to break Yue out of her thought.

"It is time you depart Luna, child of the moon. I leave you a gift, but in exchange I ask that you do me one favor."

Glancing up with determined eyes, trying not to disappoint the spirit that was trying to save her, she spoke firmly. "Of course, I am in your debt."

Yue smiled fondly at the mortal, noting to watch over her journey in what would be a foreign reality for the girl who resembled her age. "Watch over Sokka of the Southern water tribe."

' _Southern water what? Sokka? Wait why does that name sound so familiar?'_ Luna could only hope that her confused thoughts didn't show on her face. "I promise."

Yue raised her elegant hang that hung limply to her side and put two fingers to Luna's forehead, in a similar manner to how Luna's aunt had done not less than a day ago. When they made contact, the white light glowed in intensity and Luna felt something akin to holy water rush throughout her body. "I leave you with this gift, child of the moon." Yue's words sounded farther away with each word, leaving Luna in a panic, although that sensation never left. "Wait! I have so many things to ask you!" however the words weren't heard and Luna found herself hurtling through light to an unknown destination.

* * *

Sokka sat by the spirit oasis in agony. His hand still reaching out even as Princess Yue disappeared and the light began to die down. Surrounded by his sister and that crazy fire prince's uncle, Iroh, he couldn't begin to describe the loss he was feeling. She had just kissed him and faded out of his life in an instance, tears threatened to fall but yet the shock didn't permit him to do so. He loved her! And yet just like his mother, he had lost her!

Katara's hand rested on his shoulder, and held him down when he just so desperately wanted to disappear just as Yue had done. This loss was agonizing, but yet he knew that they had to continue the journey with the Avatar, so that no one else ever felt this way because of the Fire Nation's selfish actions.

The pond all of a sudden glowed with intensity, sparking a hope within him that maybe Princess Yue was coming back to them, to him! Oh spirits! The light strengthened in intensity and than ceased. Leaving behind something equally as dumbfounding as Yue coming back to life. All the occupants on the other side gapped at the sight before them. Confused and equally transfixed on what appeared to be a girl, around Sokka's age, floating down to the lush island where the shrine was laid. Thick black coarse curls framed her face and floated around her in long waves as she ascended. Her skin was darker than this but appeared to shine with a gold hue, the most exotic coloring he had seen. She was short, but the strange- and frankly somewhat scandalous- clothes she wore showed off long legs and curves. She glowed with a golden light as she descended onto the grass and the moment her feet touched the ground her eyes snapped open to reveal jade glowing eyes. The unknown female starred directly into Sokka's own azure ones, unsettling him to his core, for what felt like decades until they rolled back in her head and she fell to a heep on the ground.


End file.
